Computers are becoming an increasingly popular mechanism for presenting media content information, such as audio information and video information. For instance, a user can receive content information from a remote source using a personal computer in the user's home that is coupled to the remote source via a network. The user may receive the content information as a complete file or in piecemeal streaming fashion. Alternatively, if the computer includes a tuner mechanism, the user may receive content information from conventional broadcast sources (such as cable or satellite sources) by tuning to these sources. The user may forward such content information to one or more appropriate playback devices in the home, such as a television or stereo system. Microsoft Corporation's Media Center technology provides one exemplary suite of tools for receiving and presenting media content information in the above-described manner. Using other tools, the user may couple multiple playback devices in the home into a presentation network. The user can then transfer media information from one device to another within the home. Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) technology provides one suite of tools for conveniently setting up such a home network.
While these developments offer many interesting enhancements compared to the conventional presentation of media content information, they also pose new challenges. Consider, for instance, the traditional case in which a user employs a conventional television to receive over-the-air broadcast media information. When the user makes a channel change, the television's tuner will react by tuning to the frequency of the new channel and presenting the media content information on that channel. This series of operations can be performed quickly, such that the user may receive virtually seamless media presentation as the user advances from one program to another. However, the above-described computer environments provide a more complex infrastructure for delivering content information. That is, these environments can include multiple computers that must interact with each other through a network connection. In these environments, a user's input instruction may require more complex processing, which may, in turn, incur appreciable latency. This raises the concern that the user may experience some undesirable delay when the user issues a control instruction. This may particularly be of concern in the case where the user makes several control instructions in quick succession.
There is accordingly a need for more efficient techniques for processing control information in a media presentation environment. Other technical fields may face similar challenges in effectively processing control information. Thus, more generally stated, there is a need for latency-efficient techniques for processing control information in any environment where the user (or other agent) can invoke multiple control actions in quick succession.